Her name was Bessie, and she was a succubus.
She had heard from her companions that they once came from a Succubus Kingdom, but it was invaded by evil intruders, forcing them to flee.
From the moment she could remember, she had already been on the run.
On planets, on starships, in all sorts of places.
They had to disguise their identities, unable to appear before the world. The places they slept were mostly dark, damp, and filled with insects and foul odors.
The food they ate was generally synthetic food, and they could only have a meal every two or three days. She had personally witnessed several companions starve to death.
Many times, they were nearly captured by evil villains or defeated by hunger.
Fortunately, their sister Lilith was very capable, always managing to lead them away from danger and find food for them.
But one day, a group of people attacked the underground pipes where they were hiding. Just as they were in danger, a very powerful man appeared.
He effortlessly defeated all those villains and then brought them to his starship.
She had never seen such a beautiful starship before, and here, they didn't need to hide their identities because most of those they saw were female beastmen.
Sister Lilith had said that succubi must be extremely cautious around men!
Men were all man-eating demons.
Afterward, they were taken by a beautiful and gentle young woman to bathe.
It was her first time bathing with clean, warm water. Before, they could only use dirty water to wipe their bodies.
When she felt the water flowing over her body, she fell in love with the sensation.
It wasn't just bathing—there was also a bathing pool where they could enjoy the bliss of soaking their entire bodies.
Afterward, they were taken to a dining hall, where the beautiful young woman said they could order whatever they wanted.
Looking at the names on the menu, she felt unfamiliar at first because, until then, she had only eaten synthetic food.
The only times she had eaten natural food were a finger-sized biscuit and some wild animals caught in the wilderness of a planet.
In the end, she chose a dish that looked like it had a lot of meat.
When that large plate of meat was placed before her, the overwhelming aroma and the infinite delight on her taste buds as she chewed made her realize for the first time that eating wasn't just about surviving—it was such an enjoyable experience.
Afterward, they were assigned to a very clean room.
There were soft beds, clean bedding, even private bathrooms, and clean, tidy clothes with a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Everyone could have their own private space, no longer crammed into narrow quarters.
Everything seemed so perfect.
It felt like a dream, and if this really were a dream, Bessie truly wished it would never end.
For an entire week after that, they lived on this starship, staying in clean rooms and eating delicious food. They also helped the starship crew with cleaning and other small, insignificant tasks.
And today, the man who had brought them here appeared again, but the words he spoke felt to her like whispers from the abyss.
"Tell me, where do you want to go next? I can send you on your way."
Bessie's eyes instantly glazed over, the meat she had loved so much before her now completely lost its appeal.
Only one thought filled her mind: They... were leaving this place... They were going back to their old life.
No! She didn't want that!
"What do you mean?" Lilith stared blankly at the man before her.
Zhao Chen said, "I've already contacted someone who can book star cruiser tickets for you, to send you to any planet or Starport you wish to go."
Lilith's expression froze; for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Because what this man said was completely unexpected.
Suddenly, a Succubus sprang up, grabbing a fork from the dinner plate and pressing it against her own throat.
"I'm not going anywhere! I'm not going anywhere!" The Succubus Bessie, tears streaming down her face, looked at Zhao Chen with a trembling voice.
"Bessie! What are you doing! Put that fork down now!" Lilith looked at Bessie, the youngest among her companions—by Succubus standards, still an underage child.
Little Succubus Bessie ignored Lilith completely, her gaze fixed on Zhao Chen. "Why?"
Zhao Chen looked at this little Succubus, standing only about 1.4 meters tall, but thanks to the Succubus' innate developmental advantages, she possessed an alluring figure.
If certain lolicon enthusiasts saw her, they'd surely be kneeling in adoration.
"Lilith, I don't want... I don't want to go back to living like before.
I don't want to drink that black water again, I don't want to hide in dark, sunless places, I don't want to live in fear every day.
I don't want to go hungry every day, scraping moss off walls, eating dirt, searching for anything I can find to fill my stomach, only to endure the pain in my gut in some corner!
I don't want to fight those terrifying beasts in the wilds of Barren Planets for a scrap of food, I don't want to see our companions' bodies fallen in battle." Little Succubus Bessie choked up as she looked around.
She said with a bitter smile, "Here... for the first time, I realized that... living can actually be enjoyable."
Living could be enjoyable?
It was a deeply ironic statement, but for Succubus living in darkness, merely surviving was an immense struggle, let alone enjoying life.
Many of the Succubus present choked back sobs, their eyes red and swollen.
Some of the older Succubus continued eating the food in their bowls, chewing each grain of rice slowly, because this might be the last time in their lives they would enjoy such wonderful food.
They... were about to return to the darkness.
Little Succubus Bessie stared at Zhao Chen with bloodshot eyes, her voice hysterical and tearful as she shouted, "If you're going to send us away, why were you so kind to us!
Why did you let us experience this kind of life, giving us clean clothes, warm water, this food, and soft beds.
Why did you make us realize that... we could live so happily too.
You showed us the light, and now... you're pushing us back into the darkness!"
As she spoke, the fork in little Succubus Bessie's hand clattered to the floor. She collapsed to the ground, covering her face as she wept.
Lilith walked forward with mixed emotions and hugged the little succubus Bessie. She felt guilty, but she was also helpless.